CityCyclingEdinburgh was launched on the 27th of October 2009 as "an experiment".
IT’S TRUE!
CCE is 15years old!
Well done to ALL posters
It soon became useful and entertaining. There are regular posters, people who add useful info occasionally and plenty more who drop by to watch. That's fine. If you want to add news/comments it's easy to register and become a member.
RULES No personal insults. No swearing.
The motorist – who works as a private hire driver – topped a league table of 82 serial offenders who were caught in the Capital’s Greenways at least five times in the first 14 days of the controversial devices going live.
Why am I not surprised? Probably works for Cllr Cardownie.
"Brian MacDowall, a spokesman for the Association of British Motorists, expressed his surprise at the figures. “They suggest serious flaws in the planning and layout,” he said.
“A longer grace period would have allowed road users to acclimatise to the new system. If motorists are being caught with that regularity, I would question whether the system is robust enough to leave no confusion.” "
Don't drive in the bus lanes... Where's the confusion?
"Steve Wright, chairman of LPHCA, said: “This issue is being fought all over Britain. Private hire vehicles are taxis in the common language of English and in law.""
In English, maybe... In the law? Erm... There might be a difference there Mr Not-the-Radio-DJ, that would be why your drivers are being fined...
And finally, a clear look into the EEN editorial policy:
" Have you been fined multiple times by the spy cameras? Contact Daniel Sanderson on 0131-620 7938 or daniel.sanderson@edinburghnews.com"
However, the Licensed Private Hire Car Association (LPHCA) said it was unfair that black cab drivers were allowed into the lanes while private hire drivers were not.
Uh-oh. Addison Lee style tactics hit Edinburgh?
Steve Wright, chairman of LPHCA, said: “This issue is being fought all over Britain. Private hire vehicles are taxis in the common language of English and in law. Private hire drivers are being discriminated against. It’s constraint of trade.”
Straight out of the Addison Lee propaganda handbook.
It's 'private hire' because it's a private vehicle. You cannot hail one in the street, nor board one from a taxi rank. Therefore no bus lanes for you as you are not public transport. Got that, Mr. Wright?
no comments open either
Hilariweep.
Send them to see the Avengers. After seeing that there really is no option but revoking their licence if they still can't grasp that Big+Green=Avoid.
Hmmm, it appears none of the stories are open for comment. Has EEN seen the light and realised the comments bits are just a mouthpiece for the bigoted and hard of thinking?
This happened a few weeks back too. Maybe just a glitch, or maybe they've decided to keep the foamers, cybernats, 'normally law abiding motorists', etc. off the site? Staff cuts and all that...
would have allowed road users to acclimatise to the new system
Which new system? The lanes have been there for years. The signs have been there for years. The enforcement has been there (on paper) for years. The only new thing is that the enforcement is being actively undertaken, rather than just turning a blind eye to it.
I'm afraid this is how the road lobby works. It is so used to getting everything its own way, it cannot actually accept that the law might say something different from what drivers want to do. Hence the special pleading: "Oh come on, everyone does this, it's been going on for years, why do you have to give us a hard time all of a sudden?"
Now if only the council would take the same hard line with cycle lane infringements (during hours of operation). 'We' can but dream...
I've emailed this hack to enquire about the "spy" cameras and to voice my displeasure with the slant of their "journalism";
Daniel,
I was reading the Evening News Article "Driver caught on bus lanes 30 times in two weeks " (http://www.scotsman.com/edinburgh-evening-news/transport/driver-caught-on-bus-lanes-30-times-in-two-weeks-1-2286375) and note the following line at the bottom;
"Have you been fined multiple times by the spy cameras? Contact Daniel Sanderson on 0131-620 7938 or daniel.sanderson@edinburghnews.com"
I find the overall tone of the article - and specifically the use of such language as "spy cameras" very dissapointing. These aren't "spy" cameras. They are enforcement cameras. They are there to enforce existing road regulations. Why are they needed? Because it's very obvious that a small but persistent body of motorists cannot be left alone to self-police themselves in not using the lanes during hours of operation. If people do not want to be prosecuted for using the bus lanes when they are not allowed to, it's very simple - don't drive in the bus lane during hours of operations. The bus lanes, and the regulations pertaining to them, have been in place for many years. They are very clearly marked and there are regular signs clearly displaying the hours of operation.
That enforcement is now being undertaken more actively is an encouraging and a very positive step, and one that will benefit Edinburgh. It is not the scandal that the Evening News is sadly trying to portray it as. For years, bus users and cyclists - and everyone else abiding by the rules in the other lane - have had to put up with the drivers who (particularly the "private hire" sector) abuse these lanes for their own convenience. Ultimately the lane abusers cause more disruption as they try and force their way in and out of lanes and on more occasions than I care to remember, I've come very close to being knocked off my bike by drivers pulling into the lanes without looking or indicating because they thought they could get away with nipping up the bus lane to shave a few seconds off their journey. And they did get away with it. Thankfully they might think twice now if there is a reasonable chance they may get caught.
It's very sad that the Evening News has chosen to approach this story in the manner it has. The "scandal" is not that the bus lane enforcement is now being undertaken, the scandal is the huge number of drivers who have for years been getting away with abusing the bus lanes and are now crying foul that their special treat has been taken away from them. It would be refreshing if the paper were to take a different stance on this matter and perhaps launch a campaign against the abusers of the bus lanes, rather than one trying to defend them.
Regards,
...
Today's EEN headline:
Drivers shocked at being fined two weeks after being warned that they would start being fined in two weeks time following implementation of cameras to enforce traffic regulations that had been in place for at least half a decade.
Not to be confused with Een, the first channel from the Flanders state broadcaster VRT. Suspect they would report it slightly differently.
An Edinburgh private hire driver speaks (into his mobile):
"Yeah, it says here (reading the paper in traffic jam) they've like, got all these, like, spy cameras that are supposed to, y'ken, stop us breaking the law 'n'stuff. Hey, a clear lane on the left, like! Ha! Look at all they chumps queuing! I'm outta here, ha ha!"
Later, back at the ranch...
"Looks like I've got lots of post today! F*** sake! All these, like, letters from the council 'n' stuff. Like, y'ken, what could they be?"
"A shoplifter has been hit with fines totalling £1800 after being caught shoplifting 30 times in the last 2 weeks. Tesco decided to instal cameras and had a trial period where shoplifters were given a telling off, and told that in two weeks time the cameras would be used to fine shoplifters. In the first two weeks of operation 100s of shoplifters were caught using the cameras. One, Ned McNeddy, commented, "The use of these cameras to enforce laws is simply unfair on the otherwise law-abiding shopper. A longer grace period should have been given to allow people to adjust to not being able to break the law, this new system will come as a surprise to many people who thought that up until this point you were allowed to break the law." The Association of British Shoplifters added, "Frankly there should have been a proper consultation put in place before the use of these cameras was sanctioned. Shoppers are being hit with rising prices, and taxes, and this is just another tax on the shopper who has been unlucky enough to be caught." Have you been caught by one of these spy cameras? Please contact the EEN to let us know why you should be allowed to break the law with impunity and whinge at the long-standing law actually being enforced."
"Reversing the Cockburn St one-way arrangement to uphill-only would make a right turn ban here much more viable."
Genius indeed. Hang on, isn't that how it used to be?
Perhaps Steve Wright of the LPHCA will offer to pay the fines of those offenders (somehow I think not - he is going to be really out of pocket, ha ha ha!!).
The fines probably amount to more than the car of the main perpetrator (£1,800) is worth. Clearly the person is a complete simpleton and twat and should not be allowed on the road as he is unable to learn or at the very least requires a refresher course on rules of the road. Take him away...
Mr Wright could mount a campaign to have private hire cars use the PSV/bike lanes taking a leaf out of AL's book.
@ anth. Sorry but I beleive you made a few typos. This is perhaps what you meant to say?
"Has EEN seen the light and realised the articles are just a mouthpiece for the bigoted and hard of thinking?"
Liked the shoplifting analogy,Anth, hilarious!
I have noticed this week that the bus lanes are a lot clearer than they usually are. London Road at Jocks Lodge used to be terrible for people passing too close at speed in the bus lane. Just got to watch out for the taxi's now! Can we start a campaign to rid them from the bus lanes! How they qualify as 'public' transport I do not know...
"How they qualify as 'public' transport I do not know"
It's a good question, and one that concerns Addison Lee too.
I suspect that it's partly historic - there were private carriages and ones available for hire - public.
In more recent years there has been the assumption that one taxi replaces x private cars.
It's certainly the case that taxi usage would probably go down if they couldn't use bus lanes - though obviously plenty of people use private hire cabs that 'can't' use bus lanes.
I didn't realise until recently cabs are only allowed in bus lanes with a fare. Never bothered to notice if this is observed.
Think that also applies to service buses - as opposed to bus that (for instance) some companies have for staff.
Does it apply to coaches? See plenty of 'Lochs and Glens' coaches and the like using the bus lanes...
"How they qualify as 'public' transport I do not know"
Black taxis (or yellow ones in the US, or saloon cars used as such in smaller cities) can be hailed in the street by anyone. For me that qualifies them as (expensive) public transport, which takes you from point to point rather than following a pre-determined route/stops. You can't hail a private hire vehicle in the street, you have to phone a central control centre.
Black taxis are more heavily regulated than private hire vehicles. they have to meet certain standards, many have induction loops, wheelchair access, etc. The drivers have to be trained to a higher level too.
It may be a fine distinction if you mainly phone cabs (black taxi or private hire car) to pick you up from your home, etc. I think it's an important one though. If you can't hail it in the street, it is not a taxi, so not public transport.
Taxis can't be hailed in the street when they have a fare - even if you are going the same way. Once occupied they are essentially private and of course take up the same road space as any other private vehicle.
I suspect because they are a vocal, organised, influential lobby on the local council they maintain their privileged position in relation to bus lanes.
Some of the driving exhibited by black cab drivers would question the meaningfulness of any 'higher training'.
"Does it apply to coaches? See plenty of 'Lochs and Glens' coaches and the like using the bus lanes..."
My understanding is that any vehicle with more than eight seats (inc. driver) can use the bus lanes (and that would include a private hire taxi*).
That's what I was told when I did my MiDAS (minibus) training at any rate and, boy, were they sticklers for the rules.
*I was once on a private hire car with 10 or so seats; he made the right hand turn from Gorgie Road into Robertson Avenue and muttered how he shouldn't be doing that because it wasn't allowed**. I argued that he could because he was a bus, but he didn't believe me.
**PROOF that private hire drivers will knowingly flout the rules!
I suspect because they are a vocal, organised, influential lobby on the local council they maintain their privileged position in relation to bus lanes.
In fact it is the private hire car business that has a lobby on the council, in the form of the deputy leader of the council no less.
The Council's site seems pretty clear about who can use bus lanes and it doesn't include private hire cars. Not even big ones.
A bus is a public service vehicle that travels on a fixed route picking up and setting down passengers along the way. A private hire car is a vehicle rented (usually on a trip-by-trip basis) for the exclusive use of the hirer. At no point does a private hire car become a bus.
Got to agree with cb about who can use bus lanes (and disagree with the council's website). I'm involved with another group that did MiDAS training for our minibus drivers, and it's about the number of seats unless there' s the work 'local' in the bus on the sign.
Here's the DFT guidance on traffic signs:
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Knowyourtrafficsigns/DG_192200
which includes this specific link to bus signs: http://www.direct.gov.uk/prod_consum_dg/groups/dg_digitalassets/@dg/@en/@motor/documents/digitalasset/dg_191924.pdf, which in turn includes this text:
"The word "local" on the bus symbol means the only buses that may use the lane are those running a local service. Where the word "local" is not shown, the lane may be used by any vehicle designed to carry more than 8 passengers, excluding the driver, and local buses." (my emphasis)
Still doesn't include private hire cars, though.
Why the hell can a cab use the bus lane?, when they have a fair no-one else can use it, unlike a bus.
There may be an argument for allowing them to use the bus lane if looking for a fair, but when they have said fare they are then just a big private car so should use the normal lanes. Never used a cab or private hire in years, I'd probably end up arguing with the driver over their, ahem 'driving'.
*fair* oops meant fare. message to me 'speck your chelling before submarining'.
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